Uh-oh - you don't have JavaScript installed. Some parts of this site won't work without it. Better turn it on! Our model is distinct, courageous and proven.
We have redefined the youth mentoring field by creating the first and only long-term professional mentoring program in the country.
Our Friends are experts in building sustained and nurturing relationships with youth. We specialize in working with youth who have faced a lot of adversity. We have the data to show that it's real and it works. Our model was founded on research showing that the single most important factor in overcoming childhood adversity is a long-term, nurturing relationship with a consistent and caring adult. Research over the past three decades continues to affirm how much these relationships matter.
Our trauma-informed, long-term mentoring model is now being sought after by communities and systems around the country and the world.
They recognize that children who've experienced a lot of adversity need more specialized and long-term mentoring relationships that Friends of the Children provides. We select children who could most benefit from a relationship with a long-term professional mentor. Like all children, the youth we serve have unique talents, varied interests and big dreams. Unlike other programs, we exclusively focus on children who are also facing systemic obstacles and who have lived through a lot of trauma.
